Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas | Shows | NYC | Tams-WitmarkTams Witmark Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas The original D’Oyly Carte versions of beloved operettas by William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan include these titles: H.M.S. PINAFORE H.M.S. PINAFORE (quarter-deck of HMS Pinafore off Portsmouth) High spirits prevail aboard HMS Pinafore as Little Buttercup distributes sweets and tobacco to the crew. Ralph Rackstraw’s mind, however, is on Josephine. He is in love with her even though she is socially unattainable. Unaware of his affection for her, Josephine is in love with Ralph but pride prevents her from revealing this because of his low station. Josephine, meanwhile, is sought in marriage by Sir Joseph Porter whose advances she refuses to acknowledge. Sir Joseph holds strong views about the treatment of sailors. He maintains that a British sailor is any man’s equal (excepting his own), and should always be treated with politeness without recourse to bad language or abuse. This inspires Ralph to declare his love to Josephine who soon forgets her price and confesses her true feelings to him.

Plans are quickly made to smuggle the couple ashore that night to be married. The only crew member who is not happy at the news is Dick Deadeye. He betrays their intentions to the Captain and they are caught before they can leave the ship. Furious at Ralph’s actions, the Captain swears an oath at him which is, unfortunately, overheard by Sir Joseph. He is appalled at such an outburst and turns to Ralph for an explanation. Unfortunately, Ralph only makes matters worse by revealing that he is in love with Josephine. The situation is saved by Little Buttercup who intervenes to confess how, in her youth, she had fostered two babies from opposite ends of the social ladder. In the course of caring for them she had mixed them up. The baby from the poor background was Captain Corcoran and the other was Ralph. Upon hearing this, Sir Joseph immediately loses all interest in Josephine and gladly resigns her to Ralph, now Captain Rackstraw.

IOLANTHE (An Arcadian Landscape/Palace Yard, Westminster; between 1700 and 1882) Twenty-five years after her banishment from Fairyland for marrying a mortal, a crime usually punishable by death, Iolanthe has been pardoned. She had a son by this illicit marriage, Strephon, who is, therefore, half mortal and half fairy. He is in love with Phyllis whom he is determined to marry. However, in order to do so he needs the consent of her guardian, the Lord Chancellor, who shows little enthusiasm for the idea of his ward marrying a mere shepherd. When Strephon turns to his mother for comfort, Phyllis misinterprets their intimacy (as a fairy Iolanthe has not physically aged beyond a certain point) and, believing him to be unfaithful, she renounces her love for him. Although he protests that Iolanthe is his mother, his claims are met with derision by Phyllis and the peers (who are unaware of his parentage) and even the intervention of the Queen of the Fairies cannot persuade them otherwise.

Furious at their attitude, she declares that Strephon will enter Parliament and will work to overthrow all the privileges enjoyed by the nobility, a job at which Strephon is successful. However, he finds it no substitute for Phyllis and, with no further reason to conceal it, he reveals his fairy origins to her. This explains Iolanthe’s apparent youth and the couple become re-engaged. At Strephon’s request, Iolanthe puts their case to the Lord Chancellor, but has to disguise herself before doing so as, unbeknown to him, he is her mortal husband and she is forbidden to enlighten him under pain of death. Unfortunately, when he declares that he has decided to marry Phyllis himself, she is forced to reveal her true identity although this will mean forfeiting her life. However, when it emerges that the other fairies have committed the ultimate offence and married the peers (i.e. mortals), the Lord Chancellor suggests that the law be amended so that it is a crime for any fairy not to marry a mortal. The Queen happily selects a mortal for herself and invites the whole company to join her in Fairyland.

THE MIKADO (The Town of Titipu, Japan) The Mikado has decreed that the act of flirting when ‘not conubially linked’ is punishable by death. Horrified by this prospect, the townsfolk of Titipu appoint Ko-Ko as the Lord High Executioner – he has been imprisoned for flirting and would be obliged to execute himself before beheading anyone else. Arriving in Titipu, Nanki-Poo is distressed to hear of this new appointment. He has been forced to leave his father’s Court to avoid execution due to the unwarranted attentions of Katisha and has come to Titipu to claim Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko’s bride to-be, believing that she would now be freed of her engagement to Ko-Ko in the light of his imprisonment. Yum-Yum has no desire to marry Ko-Ko but knows that he will not release her to anybody else, especially not to an itinerant musician. Heartbroken, Nanki-Poo prepares to commit suicide but is prevented from doing so by Ko-Ko, who has received orders from the Mikado to execute someone within the month, and suggests that Nanki-Poo be the required victim.

Nanki-Poo agrees on the condition that in the meantime he can marry Yum-Yum, a plan which receives a temporary set-back at the discovery that the wife of a beheaded man must be buried alive. However, when they hear that the Mikado, accompanied by Katisha, is approaching the town, Ko-Ko, anxious to avoid the Mikado’s wrath, decides to pretend that Nanki-Poo’s execution has already taken place. Unfortunately, the Mikado is furious to learn that it is his son who has supposedly been beheaded and Ko-Ko has no choice but to persuade Nanki-Poo to “come back to life”, a plan Nanki-Poo will only agree to if Ko-Ko proposes to the unwed Katisha. Reluctantly he agrees and Katisha, believing Nanki-Poo to be dead, accepts the proposal. With Katisha out of the way, Nanki-Poo appears before the Mikado. He is delighted to see his son alive, and all is forgiven.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (The coast of Cornwall) The pirates of Penzance (a rather tender-hearted band, made up exclusively of orphans and unable to harm anyone of similar background) are celebrating Frederic’s coming of age and subsequent release from his apprenticeship to them. He joined the pirates as a child owing to a mistake by Ruth, his nursemaid, who misheard his father’s instructions to apprentice him to a pilot. She has remained with Frederic ever since and now harbors a desire to marry him. However, Frederic has met and fallen in love with Mabel whose sisters the pirates have claimed as their future brides. Their father, the General, is horrified at this prospect and declares himself to be an orphan, knowing that this will effect their immediate release. As an ex-pirate, Frederic now feels that his duty is to society and he wastes no time in assembling a police force to capture the pirates.

He is, therefore, dismayed when he learns from Ruth and the Pirate King that, due to the fact that his birthday is on 29th February and only occurs once every four years, he has in effect only had five birthdays; the terms of his apprenticeship state that he is bound to the pirates until his 21 st birthday. Consequently, feeling that his loyalty is now to the pirates again, he reveals that the General is not really an orphan. The Pirate King is furious that he has been tricked and he plots to capture the General, his daughters and the policemen and take his revenge. This task proves no problem to his band of men until the Sergeant demands that they surrender in the name of Queen Victoria. This is too much for them and they yield to the request. However, as they are about to be taken into custody Ruth reveals that they are not really pirates at all, but noblemen who have gone astray. On hearing this, the General orders their release, restores them to their rightful ranks and offers them his daughters in marriage.

PRINCESS IDA Act I In a pavilion at King Hildebrand’s palace, courtiers wait expectantly for the arrival of King Gama and his daughter Princess Ida, who was betrothed in infancy to Hildebrand’s son, Prince Hilarion (Search throughout the panorama). Hildebrand promises to wage war against Gama if the Princess should fail to appear (Now hearken to my strict command), while Hilarion, who is in love with Ida, although he has not seen her since he was two years old, wonders how she may have changed over the ensuing twenty years (Ida was a twelvemonth-old). Ida’s war-like (and dull) brothers Arac, Guron and Scynthius, arrive at Hildebrand’s palace (We are warriors three) preceding their father. King Gama enters, explains his misanthropy (If you give me your attention I will tell you what I am), and promptly displays it by insulting Hildebrand and his son. He then announces that Princess Ida has forsworn men and founded a women’s university at Castle Adamant, one of his many country houses.

The two Kings advise Hilarion to go to Castle Adamant to claim Ida, and that if she refuses him, Hildebrand will storm the castle (Pr’haps if you address the lady). But Hilarion plans to use romantic means, rather than force, to gain the princess’s love. He explains that nature has “armed” him and his friends, the courtiers Cyril and Florian, to win this “war” (Expressive glances will be our lances). The three set off to Castle Adamant, while King Gama and his sons are to remain at Hildebrand’s palace as hostages (For a month to dwell in a dungeon cell). Act II At Castle Adamant, Princess Ida’s pupils learn that “man is nature’s sole mistake” (Towards the Empyrean heights). One of the Professors, Lady Blanche, doles out the punishments for the day, for “offenses” that include bringing chessmen to the university – “men with whom you give each other mate” – and for sketching a double-perambulator. Princess Ida arrives (Minerva!

Oh hear me) and delivers a stern lecture, stating that women’s brains are larger than men’s, and predicting that woman shall conquer man, but that once having conquered, woman will treat man better than he has treated her. Lady Blanche resents the Princess and predicts that one day she will replace her as head of the university (Come mighty must, a song often cut from the D’Oyly Carte productions). Hilarion, Cyril and Florian sneak into Castle Adamant (Gently, gently). They scoff at the idea of a woman’s college. Finding some discarded academic robes, the three men disguise themselves as young maidens wishing to join the university (I am a maiden cold and stately) and are welcomed by Princess Ida (The world is but a broken toy). Florian realizes that their disguises won’t fool his sister, Lady Psyche (one of the professors), and they take her into their confidence.

Lady Psyche warns them that they will face death if the Princess discovers who they are and informs them of the Princess’s theories on man, using a parable about an ape who falls in love with a high-born lady to illustrate her point that Darwinian “Man, sprung from an Ape, is Ape at heart” (A lady fair of lineage high). Illustration by Gilbert for the “Darwinian Man” song; compare with Darwin image above. Melissa, Lady Blanche’s daughter, has overheard them, but, fascinated by the first men she has ever seen, swears herself to secrecy. She falls in love with Florian at first sight, and the company celebrate joyously the discovery that men are not the monsters that Princess Ida had claimed (The woman of the wisest wit). Lady Blanche, who has not fallen for the men’s disguises, confronts Melissa. Though indignant at first, she is persuaded to keep the men’s secret when her daughter points out that if Hilarion is able to woo Princess Ida, Blanche will become head of the university (Now, wouldn’t you like to rule the roast?).

During lunch (Merrily rings the luncheon bell), Cyril gets tipsy and inadvertently gives away his friends’ identity by singing a bawdy song (Would you know the kind of maid). In the ensuing confusion, Princess Ida falls into a stream, and Hilarion rescues her (Oh joy, our chief is saved). Despite her rescue, Ida condemns Hilarion and his friends to death. Hilarion counters that without her love to live for, he welcomes death (Whom thou hast chained). King Hildebrand and his soldiers arrive, with Ida’s brothers in chains. He reminds her that she is bound by contract to marry Hilarion and gives her until the following afternoon to comply (Some years ago) or incur the guilt of fratricide. The defiant Ida replies that, although Hilarion saved her life and is fair, strong, and tall, she would rather die than be his bride (To yield at once to such a foe). Act III Princess Ida reviews her student troops’ readiness to meet Hildebrand’s soldiers in battle, but the terrified girls admit that they are afraid of fighting (Death to the invader!).

Princess Ida is disgusted by their lack of courage and vows that, if necessary, she will fight Hildebrand’s army alone (I built upon a rock). Her father, King Gama, arrives with a message that Hildebrand prefers not to go to war against women. He reveals that Hildebrand has been torturing him by treating him in luxury and giving him nothing to complain about (Whene’er I spoke sarcastic joke). He suggests that, instead of subjecting her women to all-out war, she pit her three strong, brave brothers against Hilarion and his friends, with Ida’s hand to depend on the outcome. Ida is insulted to be “a stake for fighting men” but realizes that she has no alternative. Rutland Barrington as Hildebrand, 1884 Hildebrand’s forces enter, together with Gama and his three sons (When anger spreads his wing). Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian are still in their women’s robes, and King Gama and his sons ridicule them. In preparation for battle, Gama’s sons shed their heavy armor, saying that it is too uncomfortable for combat (This helmet I suppose).

The fight ensues, with Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian defeating Gama’s sons (It is our duty plain). Her wager lost, Ida yields to Hilarion and bitterly asks Lady Blanche if she can resign her post with dignity. The delighted Blanche, who will succeed her as head of the university, assures her that she can. Ida laments the failure of her “cherished scheme,” but King Hildebrand points out the fatal flaw in her logic: If you enlist all women in your cause, And make them all abjure tyrannic Man, The obvious question then arises, “How Is this Posterity to be provided?” Princess Ida admits, “I never thought of that!” Hilarion makes an emotional appeal, urging her to give Man one chance, while Cyril observes that if she grows tired of the Prince, she can return to Castle Adamant. Lady Psyche says that she, too, will return if Cyril does not behave himself, but Melissa swears that she will not return under any circumstances. Finally, Ida admits that she has been wrong, and declares that indeed she loves Hilarion, ending with a quotation directly from the Tennyson poem.

All celebrate, (With joy abiding). Music by Arthur Sullivan Lyrics and Libretto by W.S. Gilbert 1 Leader Violin (1st Violin part with vocal cues) 1 Violin I 2 Flute I & II (Flute II doubles Piccolo) 1 Oboe 2 Clarinet I & II in A and Bb 1 Bassoon 2 Horn I & II (in F) 2 Trumpet I & II [or Cornet I & II] in A and Bb 2 Trombone I & II 1 Piano-Conductor’s Score (There is no piano scored in the orchestration. The Piano-Conductor’s Score is a vocal score with orchestra cues added. Two-Piano Arrangements are available for: The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. 1 Piano Conductor’s Score 1 Prompt Book Vocal scores for Gilbert & Sullivan operettas are available for sale at bookstores or online. The orchestrations match only the Boosey & Hawkes or Chappell editions. H.M.S. PINAFORE (1878) The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B.

(First Lord of the Admiralty) Capt. Corcoran (Commanding H.M.S. Pinafore) Ralph Rackstraw (Able Seaman) Soldiers, Courtiers, “Girl Graduates,” “Daughters of the Plough,” etc. Operettas require trained voices for principal roles and a full SATB chorus. Original D’Oyly Carte Orchestrations are available. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado are among the best known.

Gilbert, who wrote the words, created fanciful “topsy-turvy” worlds for these operas where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion—fairies rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offense, gondoliers ascend to the monarchy, and pirates turn out to be noblemen who have gone wrong. Sullivan, six years Gilbert’s junior, composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humor and pathos. Their operas have enjoyed broad and enduring international success and are still performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world. Gilbert and Sullivan introduced innovations in content and form that directly influenced the development of musical theatre through the 20th century. The operas have also influenced political discourse, literature, film and television and have been widely parodied and pastiched by humorists. Producer Richard D’Oyly Carte brought Gilbert and Sullivan together and nurtured their collaboration. He built the Savoy Theatre in 1881 to present their joint works (which came to be known as the Savoy Operas) and founded the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, which performed and promoted Gilbert and Sullivan’s works for over a century. Find upcoming performances near you.

Step 1. Enter your location Step 2. Narrow results by distance "Sir Joseph Porter's Song" ("When I was a Lad I served a Term") from H. M. S. Pinafore by W. S. Gilbert [ Victorian Web Home —> Authors —> Music, Theatre, and Popular Entertainment —> W.S.Gilbert ] Scene. — Quarter-deck of H. M. S. Pinafore, off Portsmouth [on the south coast of England]. Sailors, led by Boatswain, discovered cleaning brasswork, splicing rope, etc. Dramatis Personae: The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K. C. B. (First Lord of the Admiralty), Captain Corcoran (Commanding H. M. S. Pinafore), Tom Tucker (Midshipmite), Ralph Rackstraw (Able Seaman), Dick Deadeye (Able Seaman), Josephine (the Captain's daughter), Hebe (Sir Joseph's First Cousin), First Lord's Sisters, his Cousins, his Aunts; Sailors, Marines, etc. Time: The Present [i.e, the late 1870s].

Enter Sir Joseph with Cousin Hebe. SONG — SIR JOSEPH. The ruler of the Queen's Navee, Whose praise Great Britain loudly chants. COUSIN HEBE. And we are his sisters, and his cousins and his aunts! RELATIVES. And we are his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! SIR JOSEPH. When at anchor here I ride, My bosom swells with pride, And I snap my fingers at a foeman's taunts; COUSIN HEBE. And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! ALL. And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! SIR JOSEPH. But when the breezes blow, I generally go below, And seek the seclusion that a cabin grants; COUSIN HEBE. And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! ALL. And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! His sisters and his cousins, Whom he reckons up by dozens, And his aunts! When I was a lad I served a term As office boy to an Attorney's firm.

I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor, And I polished up the handle of the big front door. I polished up that handle so carefullee That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS. — He polished up that handle so carefullee That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! Sir Joseph. As office boy I made such a mark That they gave me the post of a junior clerk. I served the writs with a smile so bland, And I copied all the letters in a big round hand — I copied all the letters in a hand so free, That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS. — He copied all the letters in a hand so free, That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! Sir Joseph.In serving writs I made such a name That an articled clerk I soon became; I wore clean collars and a brand-new suit For the pass examination at the Institute, And that pass examination did so well for me, That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS.

— And that pass examination did so well for he, That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! Sir Joseph. Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip That they took me into the partnership. And that junior partnership, I ween, Was the only ship that I ever had seen. But that kind of ship so suited me, That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS. — But that kind of ship so suited he, That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! Sir Joseph. I grew so rich that I was sent I always voted at my party's call, And I never thought of thinking for myself at all. I thought so little, they rewarded me By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS. — He thought so little, they rewarded he By making him the Ruler of the Queen's Navee! Sir Joseph.

Now landsmen all, whoever you may be, If you want to rise to the top of the tree, If your soul isn't fettered to an office stool, Be careful to be guided by this golden rule — Stick close to your desks and never go to sea, And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee! CHORUS. — Stick close close to your desks and never go to sea, And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee! Notes and Commentary ( PVA ) Sir Joseph Porter , accompanied by a guard of a sergeant and two privates of the Royal Marines, enters at line 273. Comic baritone George Grossmith, who opened in the part of Sir Joseph at the Opera Comique, just off the Strand, on 25 May 1878, was made up to look like the hero of the Battles of the Nile and Trafalgar, Horatio, Lord Nelson — doubly appropriate since the set was based on the quarter-deck of Nelson's flagship Victory, anchored at Portsmouth.

This is one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular "patter songs," so-called perhaps because of "The Paternoster": a priest typically would deliver a mass "in a low, rapid, mechanical way until he came to the words 'and lead us not into temptation', which he spoke clearly and deliberately" (Brewer's Phrase and Fable, p. 840). The character of Sir Joseph Porter in terms of business background resembles that of bookseller William Henry Smith (1825-91), who had entered Parliament in 1868 and had been appointed First Lord of Admiralty in 1877, Smith having made a fortune through expanding hois father's bookselling business in the Strand by setting up railway station bookstalls and newsstands to become Britain's biggest bookseller and newsagent. The position of First Lord of the Admiralty as equivalent to the American "Secretary of the Navy" remained a cabinet post in the British government until 1964. Smith remained First Lord until the fall of Disraeli 's Conservative government in 1880; however, wherever he went, people hummed "Sir Joseph Porter's Song" and the nickname "Pinafore Smith" stuck.

"'When I was a lad' was even played by a Royal Marine Band when he went down to launch a ship at Devonport, although strict orders had gone out from the Port Admiral that music from Pinafore should on no account be performed" (Bradley 134). The object of Gilbert's satire is not so much the person of publisher and politician W. H. Smith as the system that in essence de-professionalized command positions in the British armed forces, and promoted those with wealth and political connections rather than military ability. Thus, Gilbert was in effect attacking the long-standing aristocratic tradition of purchasing commissions. Instead of "serving a term" as a midshipman (which was the conventional route leading to officer status and ship's command), Sir Joseph has taken a strictly political route to the Admiralty. His being accompanied by "Cousin Hebe" may be Gilbert's method of ridiculing thinking of himself as an Olypian deity, for Hebe was the patron goddess of youth and youthful beauty, and cupbearer of the gods in Greek mythology — her cup was said to have the ability to retore old men to youthful vigour (as demonstrated by Sir Joseph's prancing around the stage).

That Hebe eventually married the deified hero Herakles may also be significant in Gilbert's resolving the problem of the marriage of Sir Joseph and Captain Corcoran's daughter, Josephine. Line 303. "served the writs" indicates that the office-boy had been promoted by the "Attorney's firm" (i. e., after the Judicature Act of 1873 a company of common law courts "attorneys" and "solicitors," that is, those lawyers who practiced in the courts of equity) to the job of "process-server," conveying such legal documents as summonses that require persons so "served" to appear in court. Lines 310, 312. Sir Joseph became "an articled clerk" so that he would, after an apprenticeship, be qualified as a solicitor. One of our readers, Mary S. Butler, writes from Sheffield to explain, "This being England we have a split profession (I should know because I am a Solicitor — an ex-Articled Clerk — married to a Barrister).

Sir Joseph Porter would clearly have been qualifying as a Solicitor not a Barrister and hence would have sat the Law Society's exams (or whatever the Victorian equivalent was) but not definitely not under any circumstances, the Bar Exams." [For more on Gilbert and the Victorian legal profession, see London Characters and the Humourous Side of London Life (1871) written by both W. S. Gilbert and a thus-far unidentified "Mr. Jones." [ GPL ] Line 326. Sir Joseph, once a partner in a successful law firm, ran for a relatively safe parliamentary seat, a "pocket borough" being controlled by a single wealthy individual who had the seat "in his pocket" because he directed how a handful of electors would vote. Such seats were effectively wiped out by the Great Reform Bill of 1832 , which would suggest that Sir Joseph is a politician of exceedingly advanced age! References Bradley, Ian, ed. "Sir Joseph Porter's Song." H. M. S. Pinafore, Act One. The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan. Oxford: Oxford U. P., 1996. Pp. 133-137.

Evans, Ivor, ed. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. New York: Harper and Row, 1981. Gilbert, W. S. H. M. S. Pinafore. Act One. The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan. New York: The Modern Library, 1936. Pp. 109-111. H.M.S. Pinafore/Gilbert & Sullivan - Microsoft Store H.M.S. Pinafore/Gilbert & Sullivan 1992 • 32 songs • More • Miscellaneous • Intersound Buy album $9.99 Play 13. Now Give Therr Cheers: I Am the Monarch of the Sea (Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph Porter, Hebe & Mixed Chorus Play 29. Farewell, My Own (Ralph Rackstraw, Josephine, Sir Joseph Porter, Hebe, Dick Deadeye, Boatswain, Boatswain's Mate, Mrs.

Cripps & Chorus) MP3 MP3 download When you buy an album or a song, you can also download it on Android, Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8. Portions of content provided by - © 2017 Rovi Corporation OPERETTAS CONTACT US Show 107 April 16, 1959 -THE MIKADO Script Notes: This Ford Show Classic began as an idea for a musical sketch, built around a three-song medley arranged for The Top Twenty- from Gilbert & Sullivan's classic Opera, 'The Mikado'. As production discussions progressed, however, the sketch continued to expand and eventually, Ernie himself suggested that they consider doing their own version of the Opera, with full costumes and sets. The idea took hold and within days, storyboards and a rough draft of a condensed script was ready. But while Ernie, The Top Twenty and The Ford Show crew were becoming more excited over the concept, others at the network and at Ford Motor Company were not.

The Ford Show was holding the number one spot for half-hour variety shows in the Nielsens and was consistently higher in the ratings than its closest competitor over at CBS -- 'Playhouse 90'. An operetta? Set in Japan? Starring ...Ernie Ford? "Obviously, we'd never done anything like this before", Ernie said. "It was an experiment we all knew could blow up in our faces...we were fooling with our own success and we knew we could hurt ourselves". It didn't matter that Ernie himself was covering every dollar over The Ford Show's usual line, or that he was familiar with the Opera, having done the show while at music school in Cincinnati. To the brass in Madison Avenue and Detroit, this wasn't the time to experiment--and for that matter--not the show to experiment with. On top of it, the press had learned of the planned show, and was also questioning whether or not Ernie and The Top Twenty were up to the task. It didn't take long for that question to be answered.

Dateline - New York Times ~ April 17, 1959: "Tennessee Ernie Ford came up last night with a charming little sleeper; a thirty-minute version of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "The Mikado". (The result was a delightful sampling of G&H, presented with professional taste and style worthy of a major production. The Top Twenty, regular singing group on Mr. Ford's program, showed themselves to be much more versatile than might be expected. The costumes and sets can only be described as absolutely beguiling. The only complaint about last night's 'Mikado' was that it didn't last twice as long. Mr. Ford certainly fooled those who might tend to think of him only as a Peapicker." Dateline - Variety ~ April 17, 1959: "Viewing a half-hour version of "The Mikado" is like making a one-week tour of Europe; it leaves one thirsting for the rest of it. Tennessee Ernie Ford managed to compress the Gilbert & Sullivan into thirty minutes, and to Ford's credit, it was one of the most entertaining half-hours of this season." To the paper, every single review was a rave.

'The Mikado' was an unqualified success and went on to earn the second-highest numbers for the series' entire five-year run.

Cast: KoKo/Narrator: Ernie Ford / Nanki-Poo: Ken Remo / Yum Yum: Deltra Kamsler / Katisha: Karen Wessler / Mikado: Ted Wills / Peep Bo: Donna Cooke / Pitti-Sing: Joanne Burgin / Chorus: The Top Twenty Musical Numbers: If You Want To Know Who We Are: Nanki-Poo and the Gentlemen / A Wandering Minstrel, I: Nanki-Poo and Chorus / Three Little Maids From School Are We: Yum Yum, Peep Bo and Pitti-Sing / Behold, The Lord High Executioner: Chorus /They'll None Of 'Em Be Missed: KoKo and Chorus / Were You Not To KoKo Plighted?: Yum Yum and Nanki-Poo / Ye Torrents Roar: Orchestra / The Sun Whose Rays: Yum Yum / Here's A How -De - Do: Yum Yum, Nanki- Poo and KoKo / A More Humane Mikado: Mikado and Chorus / Finale: All Musical Director: Harry Geller / Choreography: Ward

 Ellis / Art Direction: Ed Stephenson / Costumes: Ret Turner / Adaptation by Howard Leeds and Norman Paul / Directed by Selwyn Touber Show # 133 Jan.

14, 1960 - H.M.S. PINAFORE Script Notes: Following the incredible success of The Ford Show's first foray into opera with Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado in April of '59, Ernie and the production team were confident that another Ford Show operetta could be equally well-received. They were right. On January 14, The Ford Show aired its version of Gilbert & Sullivan's classic, H.M.S. Pinafore, to rave reviews from coast-to-coast. As with The Mikado, the production stayed true to the original songs, condensed the story to fit all three acts into 26 minutes, featured members of The Top Twenty in major roles, and was restructured in a way that allowed Ernie to not only carry the lead role (Sir Joseph Porter) but also that of the narrator (Ernie himself) tying the story's events together as only Ernie could tell them; and all driven with the sure hands of the Mikado's stellar production team. The result? An instant Ford Show Classic. Dateline: Variety - January 18, 1960: "Ernie Ford's version of H.M.S.

Pinafore was deliciously irreverent. Spiced with Ernie's patented narrative, it was Gilbert & Sullivan by way of Tennessee....A gem of a narrative-and a vital approach to the overall stylized treatment. Credit writers Howard Leeds and Norman Paul for an outstanding job, and a tip of the old straw hat to Ernie Ford for putting it across." Cast: Sir Joseph Porter: Ernie Ford / Captain Corcoran: Dick Wessler / Ralph Rackstraw: Chet Fisher / Josephine: Donna Cook / Little Buttercup: Susan Lovell / Dick Deadeye: Ken Harp / Bill Bobstay: Howard Chitjean / Bob Beckett: Don Kent / Hebe: Joanne Burgin / Sir Joseph's Sister: Katherine Steele / Chorus: The Top Twenty Musical Numbers: We Sail The Ocean Blue: Men's Chorus / I'm Called Little Buttercup: Buttercup / I Am The Captain Of The Pinafore: Capt. Corcoran / British Tar: Male Chorus / Sorry Her Lot: Josephine / I Am The Monarch Of The Sea/When I Was A Lad: Sir Joseph / Never Mind The Why And Wherefore: Sir Joseph, Capt.

Corcoran, Josephine / Carefully On Tiptoe Stealing: All Musical Direction: Harry Geller / Art Direction: Ed Stephenson / Costumes: Ret Turner / Adaptation: Howard Leeds, Norman Paul / Directed by Selwyn Touber Gilbert & Sullivan  Mackerras @ Saturday, July 16, 2005 Royal Albert Hall, London Reviewed by Chris Caspell Sir Charles Mackerrass relationship with the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan has been a long and profitable one. Although he is mainly celebrated for his tireless promotion of Czech music, Mackerrass allegiance with the creators of the Savoy Operas should not be gainsaid. As a child in Australia he sang in all-boy productions of G & S, singing both male and female parts as a boy treble. Queen Victorias quasi-royal command, You ought to write a grand opera  you would do it so well, must have seemed prophetic to Arthur Sullivan given it was spoken only a few months before the opening of The Yeomen of the Guard.

There was an element of grand opera in these Mackerras-led performances though without ignoring the often-whimsical nature of Gilberts lyrics. Mackerrass mastery of the style ensures that this music avoids becoming overbearing. His technique, baton-less for the first half, readily lends itself to the overall structure of the music and dwelling less on microcosm. Mackerrass experience in this music shone through. It was superb! 50-odd years ago, Mackerrass work at Sadlers Wells brought him together with South African choreographer John Cranko to produce the ballet Pineapple Poll. Based upon one of Gilberts ballads  later used for HMS Pinafore  Mackerras uses tunes from G & S operettas; indeed there are too many to keep track of and, here, they bounced by very quickly in the hands of the arranger; the BBC Concert Orchestra was in fine form. Mackerras is not known for ponderous tempos; his 1994 recording of HMS Pinafore fits snugly onto one CD (minus dialogue).

The second half of this Prom was taken up by the first performance there of HMS Pinafore, over 90 minutes worth, and recorded for future television broadcast. Two of the soloists are on Mackerrass Telarc CD, Richard Suart and the inimitable Felicity Palmer. Her incredulity at Ralph Rackstraws unfair plight, as caused by her own hand, is of similar distinction to Edith Evanss A handbag!. Narrator Tim Brooke-Taylor presided as Cyril Fletcher used to in Thats Life  seated in a large leather armchair. A new narration, written by Kit Hesketh-Harvey (of Kit & the Widow) replaced Gilberts original dialogue. Although it was topical, with references to current cabinet ministers, a semi-staged production would have been better. The orchestra, slimmed down from the forces required for Pineapple Poll, left plenty of room for some simple props, and it was a shame that the soloists kept a tight hold of their music.

Despite this reliance upon scores, there was some exemplary singing  Timothy Robinsons enchanting ballad A maiden fair to see springs to mind. Then there were the comic turns of Richard Suart  the Ruler of the Queens Navee (sic)  with facial expressions ideal for a Benny Hill sketch. Sir Joseph Porter was modelled upon the career of W.H. Smith (of high-street-shop fame) who rose from humble beginnings to become the First Lord of the Admiralty  without ever going to sea! We were again provided with modern-day equivalents to set this narration firmly in 2005. The rising of a Union Jack at the operettas end (For he is an Englishman) did appear jingoistic even if inaccurate. But in a city mourning its dead from terrorism, a bit of flag-waving goes a long way. Between Yeomen and Poll, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queens Music, announced Sir Charles Mackerras as the first recipient of the new Queens Medal for Music Award.

The Awards purpose is to raise the general profile of music within the UK, and to reward individuals, of any nationality, who have had a major influence on the nations musical life. Sir Charless brief speech of acceptance cued a chorus of For hes a jolly good fellow from the Prommers. HMS Pinafore Introduction You are here: Archive Home > HMS Pinafore > Introduction Introduction Adapted from the book "Tit-Willow or Notes and Jottings on Gilbert and Sullivan Operas" by Guy H. and Claude A. Walmisley (Privately Printed, Undated) H.M.S. PINAFORE, or "The Lass that loved a Sailor", was produced at the Opera Comique on Saturday, 25 May, 1878, but received only very modified praise in the Press and it seemed at first as if it were going to be a failure. Unfortunately, too, just at this critical time a heat-wave spread over England which adversely affected the takings to an alarming degree—theatres became stiflingly hot and were the last places the public wished to visit at such a time.

However, by a stroke of good fortune Sullivan played "Pinafore" at a Promenade Concert at Covent Garden and popularised it to such an extent that, the weather becoming cooler, people flocked to the Opera Comique to hear the real thing, and by the end of August "Pinafore" was the rage of London. Gilbert, in the person of Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., caricatures W. H. Smith, who was M.P. for Westminster at that time—he represented Westminster from 1868 to 1885—and had risen from a newsboy to be head of the Admiralty—as First Lord; a post offered to him by Disraeli which he held from 1877 to 1880. William Henry Smith, P.C., born 24 June, 1825, an eminent statesman, married as her second husband, Emily, Viscountess Hambledon, and died in 1891. Act I opens with a scene on the quarter-deck of H.M.S. Pinafore, off Portsmouth, with sailors busy cleaning brasswork and splicing ropes etc., when Mrs.

Cripps, better known to everyone as "Little Buttercup" (a Portsmouth Bumboat Woman), enters with a basket on her arm full of snuff and tobacco and ribbons and laces etc., which she offers to the sailors, whilst singing a delightful aria, "I'm called Little Buttercup". It is typical of Gilbert's humour to name her "Little Buttercup" for she is always portrayed as a large and comfortable matron, described later by the ship's captain as "a plump and pleasing person". She listens as Able Seaman Ralph Rackstraw—"the smartest lad in all the fleet"—deplores the fact that he is in love with a maiden far above his station, a lady who is, in fact, none other than his own Captain's daughter, Josephine, Captain Corcoran, Commanding H.M.S. Pinafore, enters and after politely greeting his crew, sings his famous song "I am the Captain of the Pinafore" in which quite a number of well-known phrases that are still prevalent in conversational English today have their origin. Phrases such as "I never use a big, big D", and "What, never?

Hardly ever!" Possibly a day will come when people will say of Gilbert as an old lady once said of Shakespeare on hearing one of his plays for the first time, that she didn't think much of the author as he was continually using well-known and hackneyed phrases; she failed to realize that it is we who use Shakespeare's phrases until they become hackneyed, and not he who used ours. The Captain is perturbed at the unwillingness of his daughter to give her hand to Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B., First Lord of the Admiralty, and is horrified when he learns from her that she is secretly in love with one of his own sailors—Ralph Rackstraw. However he hurries her off to her cabin as he sees Sir Joseph's barge approaching, in which, also, is the admiring crowd of sisters, cousins and aunts that attend him wherever he goes. The dainty chorus of relatives come flowing in to a bright and lilting air and dance round the deck singing, "Gaily tripping, lightly skipping, flock the maidens to the shipping"; they are politely received by the sailors, but the arrival of Sir Joseph and his cousin Hebe puts a stop to their frivolity.

Sir Joseph then sings his well-known song, "When I was a lad I served a term as office boy to an Attorney's firm", telling how he had risen by diligence at office work and by successful speculation to the position of a millionaire, had afterwards entered Parliament and, thanks to his slavish demeanour in the presence of his constituents, had acquired such popularity that he was appointed by the Government to be Chief of the Navy. His golden rule is, "Stick close to your desks and never go to sea, and you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee!" After an informal chat to the Captain in which he impresses upon him the need for politeness when giving orders to the crew, he and his sisters and his cousins and his aunts go below. Josephine enters from her cabin and finding Ralph alone she attempts to play the haughty lady in response to his humble protestations of love, and finally leaves him. As the sailors return he tells them that Josephine has scorned his love and, as he cannot live without her, he is going to take his life. He puts a loaded pistol to his head, but in the nick of time Josephine appears and, to his astonishment, tells him that she loves him.

They decide to steal ashore that very night and get married, but "the villain" Dick Deadeye, who is hated by the crew, decides to tell the Captain of their plot, and the Act ends with the sailors, the relatives and Josephine dancing gaily, unaware of Dick Deadeye's intentions to expose the scheme they had planned. As the curtain rises on Act II there is almost always a murmur of appreciation from the audience. The scene is the same as Act I—the quarter-deck of H.M.S. Pinafore—but now it is night time, and a purple glow suffuses the ship; a lantern or two glimmer in the rigging, while a shaft of moonlight tends to throw the more distant parts of the deck into deeper shadow. The Captain, in mess uniform with a cloak about his shoulders, is singing and accompanying himself on a mandolin, while Little Buttercup is seated nearby gazing sentimentally at him.

For once it seems that Gilbert is in serious mood, especially when one hears the Captain's opening words—"Fair moon, to thee I sing, bright regent of the heavens", but almost immediately the mood changes to the comic as the song continues "Say, why is everything either at sixes or at sevens?" When he has finished Little Buttercup sympathizes with the Captain in his troubles—his crew in rebellion; his daughter partial to a lowly tar; Sir Joseph threatening a court martial; but she tells him that she at least will stand by him, despite the difference in their stations which may not be such a stumbling block as he seems to think, as there is a change in store for him. They then sing a duet full of well-known proverbs and fables—but at the end the unfortunate Captain is more mystified than ever by Little Buttercup's words, and fails to see at what the mystic lady is driving. She leaves him as Sir Joseph Porter comes in to complain that Josephine appears insensible of the honour which he is condescending to show her by urging his suit.

Josephine joins them and they sing a gay and lively trio, "Never mind the why and wherefore", which gives Sir Joseph a splendid opportunity for skipping round the deck with joyous abandon. The song is invariably greeted with four or five encores until poor Sir Joseph, fanning himself furiously after his exertions, starts limping round the stage, much to the delight of the audience. In agreeing that married happiness is not inconsistent with discrepancy in rank Sir Joseph unwittingly pleads his rival's cause and Josephine thereupon decides to marry her lowerdeck lover. When the Captain is alone Dick Deadeye comes to advise him that his daughter is planning to elope that very night with Rackstraw. Grateful for the warning the Captain, armed with a Cat-o'-nine-tails, hides in the shadows as the crew enter on tiptoe, with Ralph, while Josephine emerges from her cabin with a bundle of clothes, and accompanied by Little Buttercup. In an amusing ensemble they sing, very quietly, "Carefully on tiptoe stealing", but suddenly the Captain reveals himself and demands to know where Josephine is going.

To his horror, Ralph informs the Captain that he loves Josephine; and the Boatswain then sings his famous song on behalf of Ralph, "For he is an Englishman", but the Captain is so enraged at Ralph's temerity in seeking his child in marriage that, forgetting his former boast of never using "a big, big D——-", he cries out angrily, "Why, damme, it's too bad!" Unfortunately Sir Joseph, who has appeared on the poop-deck, and his sisters and his cousins and his aunts, overhear the Captain's bad language and are shocked. Captain Corcoran is ordered to his cabin in disgrace. But when Josephine appears and rushes to Ralph's arms Sir Joseph is even more shocked, and when he hears that Ralph wants to marry Josephine he angrily orders Ralph to be loaded with chains and taken to the cells. Ralph is led off in custody. However, Little Buttercup explains that many years before, when practising baby-farming, she had two children in her care, one a high-born babe, the other of low condition, and unfortunately she mixed them up. "The well-born babe was Ralph", she says, "your captain was the other".

Ralph enters dressed as a captain, and takes Josephine, while the former Captain Corcoran appears as a common sailor and takes Little Buttercup; not to be outdone Sir Joseph takes his cousin Hebe and arranges a triple wedding for the following day, and so ends a very amusing and tuneful opera. The music of "H.M.S. Pinafore" is full of merriment, yet it is remarkable that while Sullivan was composing such gay and light-hearted airs he was suffering agonies from kidney trouble. As was only to be expected with such a successful opera various companies in America produced "Pinafore" in a number of important towns with tremendous success—eight theatres in New York alone were playing it at the same time—but they played havoc with it, introducing endless innovations of their own. Gilbert and Sullivan, however, never received a penny in the way of royalties, so it was decided that they should take over their own companies to America and also endeavour to have the copyright laws reconstructed. Accordingly "Pinafore" was produced at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York, under their personal supervision-Sullivan conducting.

The result was very favourable, but it was the pirates in America—Gilbert and Sullivan being unsuccessful over the copyright law—that gave D'Oyly Carte and the authors much cause for anxiety and worry; they therefore remained in America some time in order to try and reach a satisfactory conclusion. As the new opera, "The Pirates of Penzance", was at this time due to be produced, Gilbert and Sullivan decided to combat the lack of copyright rule by producing it in England and America simultaneously. Meanwhile the London Company was still playing "Pinafore" to packed houses; the opera running for over two years. Page updated 24 January 2004

Question: In which Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta would you see Ralph Rackstraw and Sir Joseph Porter?
Answer: HMS PINAFORE